wizwor

extremusmaximus wrote:I bought the 2.6 - where does that fall into this feature list - the Twilight Zone?

Actually, I got it to replace my old Boxee but was disappointed because the Roku cannot play most of my HD-based movies like DVD directories & can't mount DMG or ISO images. Soon to be listed on ebay.

LOL! Another refurb! That's the problem. They pimp these things as a replacement for...well...everything. The Roku is a very nice streamer for really short money. You need some technical ability to get it set up and keep it working. There is no Roku 2.6, but check the bottom of the box for a model number. If your Roku is a refurb, it might be under the b-stock sticker. You should be able to find it on this chart to see where it falls in...

reponzo01

For those of you teetering on the "refurbished" fence, you should know that this one is not actually "refurbished". It's "factory reconditioned". I'm no expert on the difference of the two, but Woot has a different definition for each:

Refurbished: "Refurbished" covers everything from buyers' remorse returns and products whose defects have been repaired by the pros to damaged packaging and discontinued items. If you can accept their checkered past, refurbs have a lot of love to give.

Factory Reconditioned: A "factory reconditioned" item was returned, inspected, and restored to fully working condition by the original manufacturer or a certified partner. And the original manufacturer stands behind it with a warranty. It's as close to new as you can get without technically being "new".

hwlester

firebirdude wrote:Woot community deal posted for a refurb Roku 2 XS for $48.95 shipped. Same thing but with slightly older processor and minus the headphone jack. Still ethernet and WiFi. Still USB. Still non-IR remote.
http://deals.woot.com/deals/details/c3f32336-1806-46ef-b680-71c4671c5488/roku-2-xs-1080p-hd-streaming-media-player-w-motion-sensor-control-angry-birds

As someone posted earlier, the 2XS is similar, but not identical to the 3. It includes a motion sensing remote like the 3, but the remote does not support remote headphones and the processor inside the 3 is a little faster, but the 2XS works with both HDMI and non-HDMI TV's. The 2XS has an IR window on it even though it doesn't come with an IR remote, so my motion remote has been stored away and I use my Logitech Harmony to control my Roku 2XS.

inirons

wizwor wrote:Sorry I'm late. Here are all the answers to all of your questions...

This is a Roku 3. It is the best supported and most powerful Roku. It's not the most recent model, and, in my opinion, it's not the best.

The Good: It's 5x faster processor than the others. It is the best supported model -- the YouTube and Netflix updates hit this model first.

The Bad: No composite out. Even if you do not have an older TV with no HDMI, composite audio is a very cool feature. You can route this audio out to a soundbar, a receiver's aux audio, or even amplified speakers so you can listen to Pandora or Spotify without running your TV.

The Ugly: WiFi remote! To allow you to listen to audio via an earbud jack on the R3 remote, they stream remote commands and audio via WiFi. This causes interference issues including choppy sound and an unresponsive remote. Worse, when your WiFi router is interfered with, it throttle speed to improve connection quality. Of course, if you do plug earbuds into that jack, keep a box of batteries nearby.

Here is a chart comparing the features of all the currently available Rokus including the veneralbe Roku 2 XS which is my favorite...

Here is another chart comparing the processing power of the various models...

It's easy to see that this Roku is much faster than the others, but, since the Roku has been streaming HD for years and the Rokus released after this one reverted to a slower processor, you might wonder what all those extra bogoloops are doing for you.

Back to the questions...

Q. Can this play files from an NFS mount.
A. Maybe. They have to be in the right format and there has to be some kind of server software in the mix.

Q. Is the new stick a Chromecast killer.
A. No it is a really inexpensive variant of the Roku 2 family.

Q. What does this offer that my other streamer doesn't?
A. Whether you have an Xbox, a SMP, or a BD player, it's all about the channels. Compare the content your current streamer can play to what you see at http://www.roku.com/channels. Read the descriptions carefully because the Roku Fox News Channel IS NOT what you get on Comcast.

Q. What do channels and content cost?
A. Some apps (channels) cost money, some apps (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, MLB.com, etc.) require you to pay a monthly or annual fee for content. Some charge for the app and again for the content. Some require you authenticate with a cable provider. There are some very good, free apps...

Out of the box, your Roku will have THOUSANDS of channels (apps) of programming. These channels may free or you may have to buy them. You may also have to pay a monthly or annual fee for content. Netflix, MLB.com, and Hulu are free apps, but you have to pay for their content. Here are some free apps with free content...

Q. Can I watch live/local television on my Roku?
A. If you like local programming/broadcast television, Aereo [aereo.com] streams these for $8 (one set) to $12 (two sets) per month. Aereo includes a 'cloud DVR' as well. Aereo works well, but many complained about buffering during the Superbowl and it is on-demand, so after watching the Big Bang Theory, you bounce out to their menu and select Two and a Half Men, etc. (In April the Supreme Court will hear a case that may determine that Aereo is not legal; google is your friend)

Q. Why are there so many refurbs?
A. Because Roku is not the same as cable, networking is hard, the internet is getting congested, and the cable guy won't come to your house and make it work. This is not a toaster. A lot of people find making things work a lot harder than expected and the results a lot less than promised. Good for the rest of us, right?

Q. Why don't these have a slot for a cable card?
A. Because they don't.

Q. Is the Plex channel free?
A. No it is not. It's been $4.99 since December.

Q. Should I get a refurb?
A. (Sorry Woot) Some have complained that Woot and Newegg have been really bad with refurbs -- shipping junk and not supporting their customers. I've only ever had one problem with a refurb (R2XS remote) and Roku shipped me a new one right away. Call Roku if you have problems. DO NOT USE their forums unless you need exercise. RokuShawnS et all will have you running around in circles and jumping through hoops.

Q. Can I watch YouTube on my Roku?
A. YES. The Roku 3 (this one) has an official YouTube app. For other models, check out VideoBuzz.

bakerzdosen

NavyDallas wrote:You have to load PLEX media server for NFS (free). Then you just tell the Roku that you want the Plex channel (Think of it as telling it you wanted Netflix.) It installs from the online "store" (free) contained on the Roku, you enter your password once and the Plex recognizes your Roku s/n and the Roku displays your NFS media.

The hardest part will be loading Plex on your NFS (10 minutes if you're competent?). Loading it on Roku is a total no-brainer.

Thanks, but Plex on Solaris ain't gonna happen regardless of how competent I am. DLNA has just been a pain to deal with, so I didn't get one.

kcrow

draigun wrote:What's the battery life like on the remote when using it with headphones? I can't imagine it would be too good since it's going from needing power to transmit input every now and then to constantly streaming audio, but it's a cool enough feature it may have me interested.

Just remember to unplug the headphones when you quit watching, because it will eat through your batteries if you don't. I would say they last around 72 hours or so of listening.

LJohnny

I got lucky. Mine arrived and it is up and running. The only thing missing was one of the AA batts. No big deal.
The thing is tiny. Of course, my latest Roku was the original one that gave the ghost up last month.
It is faster as well. Albeit TuneIn radio is not working 100%
Netflix and Amazon are OK.

ZydecoJoe

Bought this after purchasing 3 different Roku 3s a few months ago - all had remote pairing problems so I returned them all and finally had to buy a Roku 2 to solve the problem. Evidently Roku fixed the remote problems as this one worked right out of the box without any problems.

My only complaint is that programs often start in low resolution and then after about a half-minute or so they stream in HD. Anyone else have those problems or is my unit defective?

Also, it rebooted itself a few times while watching Netfix. Not sure if this is a glitch with this particular unit or not. My Roku 2 never did any of this.

chris465

Received mine on Friday. Set it up and it would start to reboot itself. Felt the Roku 3 - and very hot. Unplugged it for a day, and plugged it back in, within 15 minutes, it started again. Sent support an email, and this is their response:

Thank you for taking the time to email us. We appreciate your concerns as well as your business.
It will overheat, as many computers will if not turned off at the end of the day. Please make sure to keep it turned off when not in use and when you can use it unplugged. Thank you.
Woot Member Services,
Whit

ThunderThighs

chris465 wrote:Received mine on Friday. Set it up and it would start to reboot itself. Felt the Roku 3 - and very hot. Unplugged it for a day, and plugged it back in, within 15 minutes, it started again. Sent support an email, and this is their response:

Thank you for taking the time to email us. We appreciate your concerns as well as your business.
It will overheat, as many computers will if not turned off at the end of the day. Please make sure to keep it turned off when not in use and when you can use it unplugged. Thank you.
Woot Member Services,
Whit

Sorry about that. They probably read the email a bit too fast. You have a warranty with Roku. Have you contacted them? They may well send you a replacement.

If that doesn't work, contact our CS again and I'll let them know about your email.

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